1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to novel pyrimidine derivatives (hereinafter referred to as "the compounds of the present invention") and to herbicidal compositions containing said pyrimidine derivatives as active ingredients, which can be applied to paddy fields, upland fields or non-agricultural fields.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,619 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 24195/1980), U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,437 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55729/1979), U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,285 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publicaiton No. 250365/1989), and Agr. Biol. Chem., Vol. 30, No. 9, p.896 (1966) disclose that 2-phenoxypyrimidine derivatives have herbicidal activities.
The above U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,285 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 250365/1989) discloses also the herbicidal function of bispyrimidinyloxybenzoic acid derivatives. Heretofore, it has been known that the bispyrimidinyloxybenzoic acid derivatives have excellent herbicidal effect and safety. However, it is a general demand required for agricultural chemicals to reduce the scattering amount of an effective ingredient by improving the herbicidal effect.
Thus, the present inventors have found that compounds having the benzoic acid part esterified, exhibit excellent herbicidal effects against perennial weeds as well as annual weed, and at the same time, they have a high level of safety to crop plants, particularly to rice and wheat, and achieved the present invention based thereon.